Players Happy for Fox's Return

The Broncos players were happy to see Coach Fox back in Dove Valley.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Four weeks ago, to the day, Head Coach John Fox was in surgery having the aortic valve in his heart replaced. Monday he walked back into the Broncos training facility at Dove Valley – 10 pounds lighter – like he was never gone.

“It was a great feeling,” defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said of seeing Fox. “He just walked back in like he hadn’t been gone. I was happy to see him up there and glad he’s in good spirits. I’m glad we did well while he was gone and we’re just happy to move on with him.”

Fox said that he had been watching practices and keeping up with the game-planning process while he was away, so when he came back Monday, he ran meetings like he normally would.

“(It was) definitely good to see him,” running back Knowshon Moreno said. “He didn’t miss a beat – right back into the meetings, running the meetings.”

Moreno went on to say that even though Fox was there in spirit, his presence in the building was missed.

The doctors set a four-week timetable for Fox’s return to work, though he said he would have liked to have been back sooner. He still won’t be able to do any heavy lifting and isn’t back to running yet, but has been doing cardio and was already walking around the day of the surgery.

"The last three weeks, I’ve been operating pretty much like I did the first eight games of the season," Fox said. "It’s not like I’m moving furniture or doing roofs. I sit somewhere and watch football.”

The Broncos played four games while Fox was recovering at his North Carolina home, winning three and losing once in overtime. Fox expressed how proud he was of the entire team’s effort, from the equipment staff though the coaching staff.

“He was just really proud of us,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “He was just really explaining that what we did was tough to win those three games and to be able to do that without him was huge. We know we have a lot of improvements to make he’s ready to get it rolling.”